Chuxue lifted her head, her lips pressed into a straight line, her beautiful face fixed in a smile as she nodded with difficulty, “Yes.” Jun Ye’an slowly released her and looked down at the silver needle embedded in his chest. It was launched by a clever mechanism on the zither’s strings, striking unerringly into Jun Ye’an’s left chest, emitting a bizarre black glow, likely coated with a deadly poison. He pressed two fingers on the needle, exerting a slight inner force, and in an instant, the silver needle shot out and embedded itself into the dark brown soil. Chuxue was visibly shocked, stepping back half a step, trembling as she said, “You… how can you still use inner force?” Jun Ye’an gave a faint smile, “If you knew the martial arts I practice aren’t affected by any poison, you wouldn’t be so surprised.” Chuxue bit her lip, staring unblinkingly at his handsome profile under the moonlight, trembling, “I deceived you… Why didn’t you kill me just now?” “Deceived me?” Jun Ye’an’s smile deepened but became colder, as if sighing, he murmured, “Little girl, once someone hurt me in this world. After that, I’ve felt that whether others deceive or are sincere, it doesn’t matter anymore.” Chuxue looked into his slightly upturned phoenix eyes, and even though her life was at stake, a sour feeling welled up in her heart… wondering who could have made such a man so disheartened.
Jun Ye’an suddenly said, “You have no martial arts skills; that was just a desperate gamble. Now that you’ve failed, there’s no second chance.” “Correct.” Chuxue raised her neck, softly saying, “Young Master… kill me then.” “Is there a reason for this?” Jun Ye’an actually laughed, looking at her with interest, softly asking. “Yes, my sister—she’s being held hostage.” Jun Ye’an gazed at her for a long time, his expression finally turning indifferent, “Leave.” “You… won’t kill me?” Jun Ye’an shook his head. “Aren’t you going to ask who sent me?” Jun Ye’an twirled the thin paper strip with his fingertips and retorted, “Would an assassin know that much?” Chuxue bit her lip hard, her gaze shifting, and after a long while, she said dejectedly, “Indeed… I truly don’t know.”
The moon had risen high, casting shadows of trees and flowers on the ground like intricate patterns. Chuxue had already left the small house. Jun Ye’an looked up and softly said, “Come out.” The back door of the courtyard opened, and a slender figure stood behind the vines. “I just wanted to give Miss Chuxue… a zither.” Bai Hui stepped forward, stopping a few zhang away from Jun Ye’an, her smile enigmatic. Jun Ye’an turned around, expressionless, “What are you here for?” “Naturally, not to watch you flirt with someone else under the moon.” Bai Hui’s lips curved slightly, her eyes half-smiling, “This is the Daisheng Yinqin, something Silver Sea has kept for a long time, for me to present to Miss Chuxue as a token of her finding a good match.” Jun Ye’an remained with his back to her, his figure motionless in the night. Bai Hui waited for a moment, seeing no response, turned to leave, but then noticed him leaning on the stone table, seemingly enduring something. She frowned, hesitated, then slowly approached.
